If you watched the recent National Football League draft of college stars, and you were a Texas fan, you waited three rounds to see a Longhorn drafted. Didn’t have to wait but just a few minutes to see Earl Campbell drafted.
Back in the 1970s…before Earl was All-American, then All-NFL running back, then voted the seventh best college player of all time, Associate Dean Richard Elam helped recruit Earl…well, sorta.
First heard of Earl, a high school football sensation at Tyler High School, when a member of the University’s administration, whose name I don’t remember, came to my Austin office. I do remember he recalled spending many hours talking to Earl’s mother.
Texas prevailed, maybe because the recruiter also offered scholarships to Earl’s twin younger brothers, juniors on Earl’s high school team. When the school principal quipped, “you just recruit football stars”, Texas promised a scholarship to the captain of their debate team.
Also Earl’s Mother said she wanted to know that Earl was going to class, making his grades. Who would she telephone for that answer?
“We told his mother she could call Dean Elam. We gave her your office and home telephone number. Don’t miss any calls from Tyler.”
Two years later, I was one of Darrel Royal’s honorary faculty coaches, standing with the team. From the sideline, I watched Sophomore Campbell play his first game. He carried a football some 80 yards for his first Longhorn touchdown. His signature is near one end of the football the team autographed and gave me.
Mother Campbell never called.
